To what degree can it be said that Russiawas responsible for the cold war?

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Introduction

To what degree can it be said that Russia was responsible for the cold war? Kenny Lee 11S The cold war was a period of time in which the two world's superpowers, America and Russia, were on the brink of war. This lasted for 30 years, and during that time, had dominated the relationships between the nations. Although no fighting actually took place, there was still a lot of tension and strain as the two countries built up their armaments. It can be said that Russia was responsible for the cold war, but like most cases in history, there are also other reasons and factors, which can be held to blame. Before we can fully consider this question, we must be able to appreciate that the cold war was not exactly a war between nations, but a dispute between two different ideas: Communism and Capitalism. The two nations, The United States and Russia, had only allied during the Second World War because there was a common foe, Germany. There were always signs of distrust and doubt between the two sides. During the World War, America had not supported Russia when overrun by Hitler's troops. Indirectly, it is this difference in ideas that was the cause of the Cold War. The principles of capitalism and communism are in many ways entire opposites of one another. We can see this in the amount of freedom each society gives to the public. ...read more.

Middle

This name stuck in the people and further separated the two groups of people: Communist and Capitalist. This would have strong Psychological effects on the normal population. We can also place the blame on America who played the opposite side during the cold war. The country's interference in European affairs brought about many disputes and built up tension between the two countries. It was the American view that Communism was a threat to all countries. This was further reinforced by the Truman Doctrine carried out in 1947. It gave the American government the opportunity to send money equipment and advice to any countries that were forced into communist rule. It was America's aim to 'contain' communism or to prevent it from spreading any further. The Soviet Union would have surely felt discontent about this turn of events and thus build up even more tension between the two sides. There was even a threat of military action, as many Americans believed it was necessary to contain communism. This proved true, because in the 1950s the Americans had sent troops to Vietnam in order to suppress the Communist threat. The Vietnam War was one of the most catastrophic wars in South East Asia. Over the next years, many people in Eastern Europe faced poverty and hardship. President Truman had thought this to be the fault of Communist rule and appealed to American congress to 'rebuild' Europe. ...read more.

Conclusion

President Truman however, countered this by trying to ram down roadblocks etc. and sending continuous streams of supply planes towards the city. The events, which took place in Germany, were important because it was one of the first where the two sides had actually done anything to purposely provoke the other. It increased tension between the two sides and made it harder for the leaders to get along. Although much of the blame can be laid upon other factors, the USSR still has a lot to say about it. The Russians were responsible for the deliberate and provocative annexing of the East- European countries. This caused the fabrication of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid, which were simply responses to Stalin's own actions. The Berlin blockade was also the result of Stalin's actions and it built more tension between the two sides. It is my opinion however that the cold war is not to be blamed on either side. It was an inevitable result of the Second World War. Millions of people had died and were discontent after a period of occupation by German troops. After liberation, there were no governments and they needed guidance. This was going to be provided by one of the superpowers: either Russia or America. Since the two nations were arguing over the same states, there would certainly be tensions and disputes between the two sides. On top of all this, the countries had also belonged to opposite types of societies and tensions had already existed between them. ...read more.

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